page_title: Kalki Koechlin
section_title: Media image
hierarchical_section_title: Kalki Koechlin / Media image
caption_attribution_description: English: Kalki Koechlin snapped at an ad shoot
context_page_description: Kalki Koechlin is an actress and writer. Although a French citizen, she has lived most of her life in India. Known for her unconventional body of work in the Hindi film industry, she is the recipient of such accolades as a National Film Award, a Filmfare, and two Screen Awards.
  Born in Pondicherry, India, to French parents, Koechlin was drawn to theatre from a young age. She studied drama at Goldsmiths, University of London, and worked simultaneously with a local theatre company. After returning to India, she made her screen debut as Chanda in the drama Dev.D in 2009–and won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Subsequently, she starred in two of the highest-grossing films of their respective release years–the comedy dramas Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, both of which garnered her Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Filmfare Awards. Koechlin expanded her career into screenwriting with the 2011 crime thriller That Girl in Yellow Boots, in which she also played the lead role.
context_section_description: Koechlin has been acknowledged in the media for her unconventional roles in films and her straightforward personality. Reviewing her work in Printing Machine, film critic and journalist Subhash K. Jha deemed her the "free-thinking actress this industry [Bollywood] needs". Megha Shah of the GQ called her "someone who can speak her mind, sound intelligent and also look stunning in a bikini". Members of the media have subsequently labelled her as a role model for women across the country. Bhavya Sadhwani, describing her as "a real life heroine", lauded her for "voicing her opinions without an iota of inhibition". Another editorial in The Week stated that with her powerful performances, and by voicing her opinions, she "has always stayed ahead of her contemporaries in the industry".
  Following her portrayal of such characters as those in Dev.D, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Shaitan, and Margarita With a Straw, Koechlin gained wider recognition and earned the tag of a "nonconformist". Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent described her as a pioneer for the Indian film industry owing to her unconventional roles and outspoken public presence. Don Groves of Forbes wrote that she has "managed to subvert stereotypes by playing characters who are nothing like each other". The columnist and film critic Vinayak Chakravorty cites Koechlin as one of the "new 'new wave' actors" who has proved her easy screen presence in her short time in the film industry.
  Koechlin is described as a style icon by the Indian media and has been dubbed as the "queen of experimental fashion". Raedita Tandan of Filmfare deemed Koechlin's fashion appeal as "effortless" and "un-diva esque". Such designers and photographers as the slow-process multimedia artist Riyas Komu and Elle couturier Amit Aggarwal have described Koechlin's persona as representative of "a sense of eclecticism" and "fresh, akin to a new wave" respectively. Koechlin has been a part of numerous fashion shows, including the Lakme Fashion Week, India International Jewellery Week, and Mijwan Fashion Show (Shabana Azmi's annual fund raiser). She also made a guest appearance at the Milan Fashion Week, one of the global "Big Four Fashion Weeks".
  Koechlin is particularly known in the Indian media and film industry for her dedication to her work. Atul Kumar, founder of The Company Theatre, and her co-star in Hamlet, noted: "[h]er commitment as an actor is relentless". The director Shonali Bose, while filming Margarita With a Straw, said Koechlin was able to give perfect long takes for the film because of the "intense hard work that she put into the preparation of her role". Her former husband, Anurag Kashyap—who directed her in three films—believes that she "has grown as an actor since Dev D.". Rajat Kapoor, in whose Hamlet Koechlin performed as Ophelia, believes she is an actress who has the "sensitivity and understanding of filmmaking and theatre".
  Koechlin is a celebrity endorser and has been associated with several brands and services, including: Coca-Cola, Olay, Vogue, Micromax, Titan, Grey Goose's Style du jour, and AOC International including the cosmetic giant Oriflame. In an interview for Asian News International, Koechlin said that she "believes that everyone, whether an actor or a model, should endorse a brand which matches their ideologies". She was also the brand ambassador of the "Cinema For Care" section, aimed at creating awareness about disability issues at the All Lights India International Film Festival (ALIIFF) held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in November 2015.
caption: Koechlin at an advertisement shoot in 2013
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